Unilever CEO on Sustainability: ‘Uncomfortable Targets’ Necessary

Unilever made a challenge to itself that not many other manufacturers have been willing to match. The idea, as the Guardiannotes, is to take “responsibility for the environmental footprint of its products right across the value chain, from the sourcing of raw materials all the way through to the consumer’s use of products to cook, clean and wash.”[more]

The report showcases successes, such as the 64% of palm oil it’s now sourcing sustainably, and that there has been “good progress in reducing saturated fat and eliminating trans fat in products,” the Guardian notes. Plus, all of the electricity purchased in Europe is now from renewable sources and “35 million people have gained access to safe drinking water from (Unilever’s) Pureit since 2005,” the paper reports.

The Guardian highlights the company’s sustainability goals that Unilever can’t control because they require the participation of consumers, such as “reducing the use of heated water in showering and washing clothes, and encouraging people to eat foods with lower salt levels.”

“In a world where temperatures are rising, energy is increasingly expensive, sanitation is worsening and food supply is less secure, business needs to be part of the solution, not the problem,” said Unilever CEO Paul Polman in a statement. “At Unilever, we believe our future success depends on being able to decouple our growth from our environmental footprint, while at the same time increasing our positive social impacts.”

Polman says the global CPG company’s goals remain ambitious and daunting, to be sure, but “uncomfortable targets” need to be in order to make actual change. He also points out that “Business has to decide what role it wants to play. Does it sit on the sidelines waiting for governments to take action or does it get on the pitch and start addressing these issues?”